James k welch and albert ernest



(No Model.)

.J. N. WELGH 8a A. ERNEST.

DESK.

Patented Nov. 30, 1897.

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.taken at right angles to Fig. 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT ErcE.

JAMES N. WVELCH AND ALBERT ERNEST, OF INDEPENDENCE, TEXAS.

DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,505, dated November30, 1897.

Application filed June 20, 1896.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES N. WELOH and ALBERT ERNEST, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Independence, in the county of Washington andState of Texas, have invented a new and useful Desk, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to desks; and the object in view is to provide adesk with depressible leaves or writing-bed sections, together withmeans for varying and regulating the elevation of such leaves orsections with relation to each other and to the top of the desk. Theleaves or sections are adjusted by positive means and are held fast inany desired position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the courseof the ensuing description.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the drawings and finally embodied in the claims heretoappended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of awriting desk or table constructed in accordance with the presentinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the same,showing the manner of mounting and supporting the leaves and renderingthe same automatically adjustable. Fig; 3 is a vertical sectional viewFig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the sliding and removable shelf uponwhich the leaves are supported, showing the mechanism for adjusting theleaves and the lever for throwing a portion of the mechanism out ofgear.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the top of a deskor table of any usual or ordinary construction. For the purpose ofcarrying out the present invention the desk or table is provided uponopposite sides, but at different longitudinal intervals, with recesses2, forming depressions below the top of the desk or table, and in eachof said recesses a horizontal shelf 3 is arranged to slide, said shelfhaving a tong ue-and-groove engagement with suitable stringers or hang-Serial No. 596,323- (No model.)

ers 4t, secured to the lower side of the table or desk top, or the shelf3 may be supported upon cleats attached to the hangers 4, if desired.

5 designates a pair of independently-movable leaves or writing-desksections which are normally upheld with their upper surfaces flush withthe top of the desk or table. These leaves arearrangedside by side, andeach is rigidly connected to the top of a stem 6. The stems 6 arethreaded throughout their length and pass through threaded openings in apair of nuts or sleeves 11. These nuts or sleeves are provided above theshelf 3 with bevel or miter gears 12, over which are extended suitableplates or keepers 13, perforated to receive the stems 6 and secured attheir opposite ends to the top of said shelf. Mounted in bearingsbeneath the shelf is a horizontal shaft 14:, having fast upon one end abevel or miter gear 15, the opposite end of said shaft being squared orotherwise formed to receive slidingly another bevel or miter gear 16.The gears 15 and 16 mesh with and revolve the gears 12 simultaneously inopposite directions, and a spring is interposedbetween the gears 15 and16, said spring being preferably of spiral form, surrounding the shaft14 and serving to press the sliding gear 16 into mesh with its mate 12.An elbow-shaped lever or shipper 17, pivotally mounted beneath the shelf3 and bearing against the gear 16, serves when vibrated to move or slidesaid gear out of mesh with its mate, and said lever is eX- tended to thefront end of the shelf 3, where it is in convenient position to bevibrated by persons sitting at the desk or table.

Mounted in bearings at the front end of the shelf 3 and located beneaththe same is a short shaft 18, having at its front end a handle 19, bymeans of which it may be ro tated and provided near its opposite endwith a miter or bevel gear 20, fast thereon and meshing with the gear 12of the adjacent leaf 5. By operating the handle 19 it will the outerleaf to be adjusted up or down independently.

The construction just above described is of particular value in makingentries in the day-book or journal, it not being necessary to adjust therelative positions of the leaves 5 so frequently. Each of the leaves 5is provided with an auxiliary stem 21, which extends downward through anopening in the shelf, thus forming a guide for the leaf to which it isattached and preventing such leaf from turning around its stem.

The improvement hereinabove described will be found of great convenienceto bookkeepers, as it brings the pages of the book upon a perfect levelwith the top of the desk or table, enabling the latter to be used as anarm-rest. In addition to this advantage the opposite pages of the bookwherever opened are brought into the same horizontal plane, and to addto the efficiency of the device the adjacent edges of the leaves arelocated at a slight distance apart in order that the hinge of the bookmay be received between them, as shown in Fig. 1. Instead of thetongue-and-groove engagement of the shelf 3 with the table the shelfmay, if desired, be mounted on rollers, so that it may be drawn outeasily.

It will be understood that the invention is susceptible of changes inthe form, proportion, and minor details of construction which mayaccordingly be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Thecombination with a desk or table, of a depressible leaf having arigidly-attached and threaded depending stem, an internallythreadedgear-wheel surrounding said stem and adapted when rotated to raise andlower said leaf, means foroperating said gear-wheel,

and an auxiliary stem rigidly connected to the under side of said leafand sliding through an opening in the leaf-support, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a desk or table, of a pair of vertically-movableleaves or \vriting-bed sections having depending threaded stems, pinionsor gears having a threaded engagement with said stems, a shaftinterposed between said gears and carrying a fixed and a sliding gearmeshing with the aforesaid gears, a shipping-lever for moving thesliding gear longitudinally of its shaft and into and out of engagementwith its mate, and means for rotating the gear on the stem of one of theleaves, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination with a desk or table having a recess or depressionopening out at one edge thereof, of a horizontally-sliding shelfarranged in said recess, vertically-movable leaves mounted side by sideon said shelf and each movable up and down, and means for moving saidleaves simultaneously in opposite directions to each other,substantially as described.

4. The combination with a desk or table having a recess in its top, of apair of leaves arranged side by side and movable up and down in saidrecess, and means to positively move said leaves simultaneously inopposite directions to each other or one of said leaves independently ofthe other, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaflixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES N. IVELOI'I. ALBERT ERNEST.

lVitnesses:

A. WEAVER, J. R. MoARDLE.

